Niyati's POV~

Life has never been the same for everybody, but if you ask me it is the beauty of roses. It also has that bright colours of red, white, yellow that shows vibrancy, peace, friendship and most importantly love but the throne and sometimes the shadows of black coloured rose also shows how unlucky I'm to never be able to feel the feelings of those vibrant colours..

I don't know if it's my fault that I was never able to experience those or I'm so undeserving.

I was lost in my thoughts when a knock on my door interrupted it. " Choti Rajkumari sa bahar sab apko bola raha haa." the maid said.

"Jii unsa kahiye me aa rahi hun." I answered. As soon as the maid walked out of the room I again began to think about how my life has taken a tragic turn after my father's death. I had never seen my mother, but Baba used to say she was pretty, intelligent and the kindest person ever, but to me she was unknown.

Today getting ready to meet my soon to be groom and his family feels like I am once again going to get chained in the old customs of society where a woman should do what others specially what men say.

For the past 2 years I have been preparing for a job in my dream industry 'The VMS Fashion' it is India's one of the top 10 fashion industries. As a passionate fashion designing student who just recently completed her graduation, it was a big thing for me to even get a chance to get an internship there. And Do you know what? Tomorrow I have an interview there. I know I can easily get a job there because there is nothing impossible for a royal, but getting it without any help from my royal name is certainly difficult.

But I don't know how my Devil a.k.a Dadi got to know about it and thats how today she even called a groom to get me married, because according to her I am royal princess and shouldn't be working under anybody and also as a woman, I should produce someone else's heir and be happy and make them happy. So she is going to set me off to a royal family where I'll be caged again.

My sweet brother 'Rudra Pratap Singh' who is also the king of Rajasthan tried talking to my grandmother but it's of no use, but I already know that and I am not disappointed or anything because I have gotten used to her antics.

Getting ready into a simple rose pink anarkali suit with a simple rose pendant, oxidised jhumka and light makeup which includes concealer to hide my dark circles, kajal, a nude lipstick and gloss.

Being satisfied with myself I walked out of the room going towards the main hall, hearing the fleet of laughter from downstairs I got to know that they are here. As I descended the stairs my payal made a jingling sound as everyone's head turned towards me and they started staring at me.

My duffer brother choked so hard seeing me, that I started to get conscious about myself. Because why not it was the first time I wore something traditional after 6 years. It was not like I don't like to wear traditional clothes it's just that I wear it when I'm happy and from the past six years there is no reason to be happy.

Cracking my concious demeanour Shweta Aunty who is also my potential groom's mother came towards me and said "You're so beautiful my baccha" and took a little bit of khol from her eyes and put it under my earlobes and smiled sweetly at me "Kiski ki nazar na laga" and I bent down to touch her feet but she stops me in middle and says "Don't, Hamara yaha betiya par nhi lagti" and she hugged me warmly.

As I settled myself on the couch I glanced that everyone from Vedant's family is here but not him. Anyways it's not Iike I care I also don't want this marriage and if he also doesn't then he can say no to this. It's not that he is a bad person or maybe he is but the problem is he is almost a decade older than me and I don't even know him properly I just met him a few times in family functions. How could I marry a person which I just met a few times in my life with no conversations exchanged.

The most important reason is that I still have not accomplished my dream and my father's last wishes of protecting the one and only symbol of my mother, a child orphanage which was opened by herself. I wanna be independent so I don't have to rely on somebody because I don't trust anyone after that incident which changed my whole life, who made me hate myself so much that I started to live in the dark. I have promised myself that I will protect myself at any cost just like I promised my father.

A voice broke my deep thoughts and this time it was his brother Ayushman who is currently in collage second year pursuing MBBS and his sister Riya who is in 12th standard. They both are sweet and kind but his sister is a total extrovert.

My Dadi 'Mrs Lajwanti Rajveer Pratap Singh' asked "Where is Vedant" and his dad answered "He is stuck in an office meeting we'll be here soon" my dadi remained unsatisfied with the answer but chose to remain silent.

The atmosphere once again became cheerful.

I looked into my brother's eyes as I leaned in and whispered in his ears " Why are you making faces like a monkey" and he fake glared and whispered "I am sorry I couldn't do anything for you this time as you know they are family friends and dadi already made an alliance when we were young." I sigh and he continued, "She destroyed my life, now willing to do yours but don't worry I will do something about it I will never let you get married without pursuing your dreams." l asked " Promise" he said "Promise" and I leaned back.

I was again in my thoughts when a deep voice came sending shiver down to my spine " I am sorry Mom and Dad for getting late I was stuck in an urgent meeting" His dad nodded curtly and said "You shouldn't be apologizing to us but to Niyati and her family." And he apologized to my family and then his ocean blue eyes looked into my chocolate brown eyes and everything went blur for a moment and I was involuntarily staring into his eyes which is blank but still feels like hiding so many secrets behind them, but our eye contact was broken by a sudden loud coughing which was non other than his sister whose eyes seemingly teased me. I blushed a little and looked everywhere but not them.

He sat beside his mother and everybody started talking again. "We should let the kids alone for sometime right" Shweta Aunty said "Sure why- my brother said but the ringing of the phone Vedant stopped him and he said "Sorry, this is important I have to take this" to my brother and he nodded.

As everybody was there Dadi walked into the kitchen with me making an excuse that she has some work with me, but I only know what work she has. As we entered the kitchen she spoke in a hard, discriminating voice which was enough to make anyone shiver but not me" As I said this alliance is a promise and it has to be fulfilled anyhow. So you will not say no to this alliance and will directly say yes to Vedant".

"Whatever his family and he tells you to do after marriage you will only do that. Understood" I replied furiously "But why! Don't I have my own life, why others will make my life decisions. I am going to say no to this allia- cutting me off in the middle she raised her hand to slap me but someone stopped her who was none other than my brother.

He asked, "What the hell do you think you are doing Dadi?" He continues "She will never say yes to this marriage and specially marry a man who she doesn't even know. She is the princess she doesn't have to listen to anybody" Dadi says "She will, she has to because she is a royal blood and a royal doesn't break promises. I will not let you destroy my reputation, if you do not agree to this alliance then I will destroy the only last symbol of your parents, 'The Ashram'''."

As soon as that words left her mouth tears polled in my eyes and my mind went blank. I can't lose the only thing related to my parents, the only memory they left for me and I know she can do anything for her so called reputation which includes destroying her own children's last memory but I won't let that happen.

"She will not agree- I interrupted my brother, "I will, I-I will a-agree to t-this mar-riage". I said while sobbing and stammering. I don't know why I was crying maybe because I could see the hell of my life flashing in front of my eyes or maybe because the threat of my parents last symbol getting destroyed but whatever it was a fear got inside of me and I couldn't stop crying.

My brother's eyes got softened and he said to me "Why are you agreeing to it princess, I will not let anything happen to you or to our parent's last symbol. But please don't agree with the alliance. Please your whole life will be ruined and what about your dreams."

I know my brother might save the orphanage but in return he will have to give away the position of CEO of our industry 'THE PRATAP INDUSTRIES' for which he had worked so hard and I can't destroy my brother's happiness because he only has his company and his work with him and I can't be that selfish to take that away from him. Wiping out my tears I said " Don't worry Bhai I am okay, I have taken my decision to say yes to this alliance." And walked out of the kitchen towards the garden and cried my heart out.

Usually I don't cry much but whenever dadi talks ill about my parents I can't help but be broken, like how can a mother even talk ill about his own child and want to destroy their last symbol. A mother can sacrifice anything for their children but it's the opposite in my dadi's case, the only thing she care about is her so-called royal dignity, reputation and money. She doesn't care about us even a bit.

After letting it out all, I relaxed a bit and sat there in silence and thought about what to do next because I was in no mood to go inside.

Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me "SAY NO THIS ALLIANCE" the voice whispered behind me again sending shivers down to my spine, and I knew who it was...

~The End of the First Chapter.

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